For generations, Indigenous and rural communities have depended on high-altitude forests for water, biodiversity, cultural traditions, and climate resilience. But these ecosystems have been heavily degraded by fire, grazing pressure, deforestation, and climate change.

Acción Andina was co-founded in 2018 by US-based Global Forest Generation (GFG) and Peru-based conservation nonprofit Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) as a Latin-American led, native forest landscape restoration initiative. Acción Andina aims to protect and restore one million hectares of high Andean, native forest ecosystems in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Acción Andina’s prime objective is to establish fully-functioning high Andean forest ecosystems in strategic landscapes across the Andes. Acción Andina creates a network of grassroots conservation organizations and local communities committed to creating forest ecosystems that endure for generations

The Project: Through local partnerships in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina, Acción Andina supports communities in restoring and protecting native high-Andean forests, particularly Polylepis ecosystems, among the most threatened forests in the world. Community members collect native seeds, operate local nurseries, grow seedlings, and lead restoration activities in their own landscapes.

Our Approach: Acción Andina is built on the belief that long-term restoration succeeds when local communities lead the work themselves. Restoration activities are grounded in traditional knowledge, communal work practices, and long-term stewardship rather than short-term planting campaigns. In addition to planting native trees, communities work to protect watersheds, reduce erosion, prevent fires, and strengthen local climate resilience.

This work is part of a 100-year vision to restore and protect high-Andean ecosystems while strengthening the communities that care for them. These forests are critical natural water sources for both rural and urban communities across the Andes. Restoring them helps improve water regulation, protect biodiversity, store carbon, and reconnect fragmented ecosystems. The work also creates opportunities for environmental education, local leadership, and women-led restoration initiatives such as Warmi Kewiñas in Bolivia.

In recognition of its impact, Acción Andina was named a 2023 Earthshot Prize winner and a 2024 UN World Restoration Flagship under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Community Partnership: Acción Andina works through a network of locally rooted conservation organizations and community leaders who guide restoration priorities and implementation in each landscape. Local communities contribute labor, stewardship, land access, and traditional ecological knowledge to ensure the long-term success of restoration efforts.

Timeline: For generations, Indigenous and rural communities have depended on high-altitude forests for water, biodiversity, cultural traditions, and climate resilience. But these ecosystems have been heavily degraded by fire, grazing pressure, deforestation, and climate change.

In recognition of its impact, Acción Andina was named a 2023 Earthshot Prize winner and a 2024 UN World Restoration Flagship under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Timeline:

• January–June: Native seed collection, nursery preparation, and community planning
• July–October: Seedling growth, restoration site preparation, and community training
• November–March: Community-led planting during the annual rainy season
• Ongoing year-round: Monitoring, maintenance, fire prevention, and watershed protection activities

Timeline” Acción Andina operates through 15-month restoration seasons running from January through March of the following year, allowing communities to prepare, plant, and monitor restoration activities across multiple seasonal cycles.